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By Ray Hickson

The current season hasn’t been overly kind to Superium and trainer Joe Pride is keen to get the three-year-old back on track at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Joe Pride (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Although Superium has a win and a second from two starts since a spring break his campaign was centred on the Magic Millions Guineas but he failed a pre-race vet check and missed his target race.

So the Edney Ryan Group Handicap (1400m) is something of an afterthought and Pride also hopes it’s a consolation for the gelding’s connections too.

“It's been a bit checkered this season,’’ Pride said.

“He lost a race on protest, he was scratched up at the Gold Coast, he was pretty unlucky second-up and could have won that but luck is swings and roundabouts.

“I'm happy with him, he just had a very quiet trial on race week and that's exactly what he we out for.’’

Of course Superium was first past the post in the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes in August and when we last saw him race he charged home and just failed to reel in the in-form Embracer.

Whether he would have beaten Alligator Blood at the Gold Coast is debatable, but Pride points out there was good prizemoney if you can run a place, he showed he was on target by running a race best 34.25 for his last 600m and a slick 11.68 final 200m (Punter's Intelligence) at Randwick a month ago.

“The Gold Coast would have been a peak performance, we probably would have given him a few weeks off,’’ he said.

“I didn't want to wait for a carnival race when he is eligible for this easier grade so hopefully we can tick this race off and concentrate on something in the autumn.’’

Pride confirmed Superium, $1.95 TAB favourite, will be ridden conservatively from the outside barrier, the field was down to nine on Friday, as he hasn’t relished racing on the pace in the past.

Stablemate Passage Of Time will be right on the pace in the Listed $150,000 Iron Jack Supports Bushfire Appeal Carrington Stakes (1400m) and Pride says his last start fourth shouldn’t be emphasised as a guide.

The gelding lumped 62kg and dropped to 1200m when beaten five lengths by Southern Lad two weeks ago but the Warwick Farm trainer said it was a run he had to have.

Superium runs second at Randwick on December 28

“I could have filled the gap with a trial, I thought he might be able to carry the weight and be effective,’’ he said.

“But as it turned out it was a slow run race and a dash home and it just didn't suit.’’

Passage Of Time led all the way over the Randwick 1400m on December 21 to make it two from two over that course. He’s a $7 chance with Southern Lad, who he meets 1.5kg better, a warm $2.30 favourite with TAB.

“I think at this point of his life 1400m is pretty comfortable for him,’’ he said.

“He carried a big weight the other day on a firm track, he prefers a track with a bit of give in it and he's back to his right trip. We have the services of Nash (Rawiller), a very strong jockey on, so I'm looking forward to it.’’

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting